Reading Between the Lines
by Peppermint Clouds
Summary: His face was just another memory to be forgotten. It was his voice that haunted her for years to come. And now, with his latest novel sitting on her kitchen table and those big blue eyes watching her, she wants to remember. For (and cover art painted by) LunnaValley23. [Modern AU.] *ON HIATUS*
1. Mistakes Drowned in Whiskey

**Author's Note:** I hope you guys like this story. LunnaValley23 and I have been working on it for a quite a while now and are so excited to see how it comes together. The beautiful cover art is by Lunna herself.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own How to Train Your Dragon

* * *

6 years earlier...

Hiccup, or Henry as his driver's license screamed in bold print, blamed his headache on the four hour-long drive from his home in Aiken, South Carolina to Atlanta. The change was always unsettling. He didn't mind the city as a whole, but it was so different from the country. The smell of fast food that seeped from open car windows, the careless pedestrians on every street corner, the glittering, towering buildings that made him feel invisible and lost. It made him miss the sight of the tall maple trees in his backyard and the smell of freshly cut grass. It also made him think of Toothless, his black Arabian stallion, who was probably giving his mother a hard time right then.

Or maybe he could blame it on the cold glass in front of him. As they did every year, Frankie and Theodore, or "Tuffnut" as they called him, had pressured him to let them show him around the city. Henry had been hesitant but agreed. And now, sitting in a booth at a top notch bar calledFinn's that reeked of expensive perfume and cleaning products, he just wanted to go home.

"-and so that's how I met her!" Frankie exclaimed.

Hiccup lifted his head and blinked dumbly at his friend for a few seconds. Had he really missed one of Frankie's entire stories? The man was known for his lectures for a reason. "What?"

Frankie frowned as his shoulders sagged forward. "Were you even listening? I was telling Tuffnut about how I adopted my cat, Marybeth."

Marybeth, Marybeth, Marybeth...nope. No bells rang in Henry's head.

"Oh. Sorry. You know how I've been. I mean, with the book and Heather and…" Hiccup shrugged and sighed quietly.

Frankie nodded and leaned forward a bit, his arms folded on the tabletop. His blue eyes were wide and curious. "Speaking of Heather, how are things with you two? You don't talk about her much anymore."

Hiccup laughed as he lifted his glass to his lips. He took a swig from it before setting it back down. "And what am I supposed to talk about? The only time I see her is when we walk by each other at the grocery store," he said.

"That's Heather for you. She only wants you when you're worth something to other people," Tuffnut mumbled. Hiccup glanced at him and opened his mouth to make a comment but Frankie spoke first.

"But...you guys seemed so happy together. What happened?" Frankie asked. He shot a stern look at Tuffnut when the other man grinned into his drink.

"I don't know. I guess we just grew apart."

"Well then don't stay with her! We want you to be happy, Hiccup, and you're clearly not happy with her. I mean, look around you. There are so many opportunities to meet someone new," Frankie said. He gestured to the crowd that had flooded the pristine bar, with its white marble counters and maple barstools.

Hiccup nodded. He had scanned the room a few times but none of the women caught his eye. They were all wearing too much makeup or their dresses left close to nothing to imagination. He wanted someone who felt comfortable around him, not someone who felt the need to impress him.

"But, on a lighter note, we should be going. Checkout for you at the hotel tomorrow morning is at 11 and there is no way we'll have time to meet up with Ruffnut if you're not up by 10. You have a room key with you, don't you?" Frankie said as he stood up.

Hiccup nodded, his eyes fixated on a window across the room. He saw Frankie shift in the corner of his eyes but at the same time watched as a car whizzed passed, its brake lights flickering to life in the purple evening light.

"Good. Come on Tuff, I'm not letting you get hammered and try to drive yourself home again." Tuffnut groaned and slid out of the booth, his sneakers squeaking along the floor.

"Okay then. Call one of us if you need anything. We'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Hiccup," Frankie said.

"'night guys," Hiccup said.

"See you," Tuff called as he followed the taller man.

Alone again, Hiccup thought. He scanned the bar, a strange hope rising in his chest. He didn't want to go back to the hotel and sleep in those cold sheets in that dark room. He didn't want to wake up to a simple text from the stranger the called his girlfriend that she only sent out of boredom. But he saw no one of interest and found himself gazing into his nearly empty glass again. He traced a finger down its perspirating side, the cold water dripping down his hand.

It wasn't until someone slid into the booth that he looked up. His green eyes widened then flickered back down to the glass out of humiliation at his reaction.

There was a woman lounging in the booth across from him. A very, very attractive woman at that. She smirked at him as he drew his glass closer.

"Sorry, was this seat taken?" she asked in a warm voice. It was sweet like honey but at the same time a twinge of danger danced in her tone, like the flash of a blade. Or maybe that was just that perfect pearly smile framed by pink lips.

It took Hiccup a moment to find his voice and then another to remember how to use it. And when he did, it came out in a squeak. "No."

"I didn't think so," the woman said. She looked him up and down without shame, her head cocking to the side in what he hoped was interest. "So what brings you here?"

"Oh, you know…" Hiccup sighed. "I'm writing a book and it's not exactly...I needed to get away for a while."

"Ah," she said. Her fingernails, unpainted, he observed, clicked against the tabletop. "I'm here with friends. But they probably left by now, so I'm not worried about them."

Hiccup nodded. He took a chance and hesitantly glanced up at her again. She was even more beautiful than he had thought at first. Her blonde hair had been twisted and pinned to the crown of her head, a few curled strands kissing her pale cheeks. Her oceanic blue eyes watched him curiously from under dark lashes, then found something else or interest. As she reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, he took the rest of her in. A black dress hugged her curves, which disappeared under the tabletop as she rested her arms on top of its surface.

She mumbled something, her eyes never leaving his face.

Her eyes.

So blue. So clear and bright, like the sky above the ranch on a summer day. No, that sounded like a sappy line from one of his mom's romance novels-

"Hello?" The woman leaned closer, her nose almost touching his. "I've been talking to myself for like five minutes here, haven't I?"

"What?"

The woman grinned at him and arched an eyebrow. "Did you hear any of that, Mr. Smooth?"

Hiccup felt the blood rush to his face and rubbed his neck awkwardly. He could feel her stare burning into him but refused to give in that easily. "Uh…"

The woman rolled her eyes and leaned back in the booth. "Astrid," she said.

"Hiccup is fine." Hiccup shrugged and lifted his glass to his lips, pretending (and failing miserably) to not notice when she snorted with laughter. But when she continued to gasp for air for minutes afterward, her shoulders shaking, he felt a smile begin to tug at the corners of his own lips. The alcohol burned in his throat and warmed his insides.

"Well, Astrid, I'm glad you find my name so amusing," he said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. He watched as she cleared her throat, still smiling, and shook her head.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "It's just...really? Hiccup is the best your parents could do?"

Hiccup shrugged. "It is what it is." Because there was no way in hell he was letting this beautiful, amazing creature call him Henry. No one ever called him that anymore anyways.

Her smile brightened. She reached across the table to trace a fingernail over his left hand that was pressed against the table. "So what do you do other than write books and get drunk with strangers?" she asked.

Despite his reluctance to not bolt out of the place the second she reached for his hand, Hiccup chuckled lightly. "Not much I guess."

"No one special in your life?"

The word 'no' lingered on his lips and burned into them. Could he even consider whatever it was between he and Heather a relationship anymore? He never saw her. And the guys hadn't been wrong the last time they had warned him about her…

Damn. He really needed another drink.

"No one."

Astrid hummed and glanced over her shoulder at the bar, which had only grown more full since the sun had begun to dip behind the skyline. She looked oddly at peace despite the quickening beat her fingers tapped on the tabletop. Over her shoulder, Hiccup saw a red-haired woman smile and nod in their direction as she leaned against one of the high stools, flipping her long mane over her shoulder.

After a minute Astrid lifted her glass and finished its contents before slamming it back down. "Do you want to rethink that tonight?" There was fear and excitement and wonder in those smoldering blue eyes as she spoke.

Hiccup bit his lip and followed as she stood. He hesitated a moment, his emotions a mess of drunken glee and anxiety, before falling into her, his lips crashing over hers. Her touch burned and soothingly chilled him at once as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. There was something about her that he just couldn't wrap his head around...something that just wouldn't let him say 'no' to the voice in the back of his mind that screamed and begged for him to stop.

They probably stood there for ten minutes, twisted together in a moment that was so perfectly not romantic, before she broke away, a wild grin on her face. "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Did he want to get out of here? In that moment, with his head spinning like a top and his stomach turning uneasily, it would be impossible to say no.

"Y- yeah."


	2. Our Hearts Don't Beat the Same

The first thing Hiccup did that morning was roll onto his side and bury his face into the cold hotel pillow with its wrinkled pillowcase.

The second thing he did was figure out that his pillow had been replaced with soft, warm skin.

It took all of Hiccup's courage to not jump out from under the sheets and call a cab to take him to the airport. He was an author with two best-selling books on the market, one of which had climbed to number three on _The New York Times_ and held its place there for nearly a year. He couldn't be caught with a strange woman in his hotel room while his girlfriend, as many issues as they had, was back home waiting for him to call.

But this wasn't South Carolina, where everyone recognized Hiccup by his signature button ups and messy auburn hair. He was a local celebrity in Aiken. But here, in Atlanta? Sure, a woman had called him out at the airport and hounded him until he agreed to sign a book for her niece, but outside of those slow five minutes he had gone unnoticed. So maybe no one would know. He just had to convince the woman sprawled across his hotel room bed to keep quiet about it. Anita, he believed she had introduced herself as...but, it didn't matter.

Her blonde hair was tousled on the mattress above her head. Both pillows had somehow migrated to the floor during the night, and the sheets had been thrown back and twisted around the woman's legs. One of her hands was curled daintily next to her face, a stark contrast to her bittersweet words from the night before. Her fingers twitched now and then as she slept.

Hiccup swallowed hard. He had really done it this time, hadn't he? If the media didn't kill him, Heather and his mother surely would. Watching the still woman's face, he slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She didn't budge. His left leg ached as he stretched, likely an effect of leaving his prosthetic on all night. It creaked softly as he crossed the room and grabbed a pair of blue sweats from his open suitcase next to the dresser. He pulled them on before going into the small bathroom and pulling the door shut silently behind him.

The reflection in the mirror stared back at him as he splashed his face with icy water and shocked himself into reality. The shadows under his eyes darker than usual, and to be honest, that alone terrified him. His breathing became labored as he ran his wet hands through his hair and leaned against the door and thought. _Think, Hiccup, think. There's gotta be something I can do…_

Hiccup froze as the bed shifted with a slow creak. He heard the woman yawn and hastily turned the faucet off. Her voice was muffled through the door, but the curse she muttered under her breath was clear as her footsteps thumped across the room. He listened as she dressed, muttering to herself about getting home and breakfast with something 'rough.'

For a few seconds, Hiccup considered going back out there and talking to her about the...the _mistake_ he had so easily let himself make. But that would mean telling her who he was, which led to the possibility of her recognizing him and going to the press, and right now Heather's angry face was the last thing he wanted to see.

Before he could act, the door that led out into the hall was opening and slamming shut behind her with a hollow bang. Hiccup sagged against the bathroom door.

"Gods…"

Silence rang in his ears as he turned his gaze to the smooth, cream tile walls of the shower. The perfect squares shivered and blurred behind the textured glass shower door as if a hallucination. Like they weren't really there.

And then it hit him square in the chest. _Astrid._ Her name had been _Astrid._

Hiccup braced his hands on the floor and pushed himself to his feet, avoiding the exhausted emerald gaze of the reflection in the mirror. Maybe she had left something behind; a phone number or a purse. He could call her and they could sort it all out together. As much as he would have liked to have hidden in the bathroom until housekeeping knocked at the door and forced him to check out, he knew deep down that he just couldn't let himself give up like that.

Hiccup opened the door and crossed the room to the bed. He felt around the sheets, his fingers groping for a hint of evidence to prove that she had been more than just a figment of his imagination. As he searched, a bright glimmer caught his attention. He bent to pick up the small object, squinting to read the tiny print on its side: _Astrid H._

It was a name tag. Possibly _her_ name tag.

Hiccup squeezed the badge in his hand as he backed away from the bed, feeling its dull metal edges dig into his palm. He ran around the room, shoving yesterday's clothes and anything else he might have left out into his suitcase before getting dressed. He glanced in the mirror, hoping he looked somewhat decent, before grabbing his room key and suitcase and making his way out into the quiet hallway. The plush carpet muted the soft thuds of his footsteps as he jogged down the steps, his hand gliding over the wooden banister.

There was no one in the lobby except the wide-eyed receptionist at the front desk, who tapped away at her keyboard. Hiccup glanced at the rows of colorful brochures and travel guides lined up at the other end of the desk. ' _What happens in Georgia...stays in the heart,'_ one exclaimed in elegant white letters beneath a picture of a smiling, picture-perfect family. ' _Explore Georgia, the Empire State of the South,'_ another stated boldly alongside a picture of Atlanta's glittering skyline.

"Yes?" The receptionist's soft voice caught Hiccup off guard. He jolted slightly before clearing his throat and turning his attention to her.

"I-I'm checking out." He slid the room key across the desk and rocked back on his heels, his right hand gripping the handle of his suitcase so tightly his knuckles glowed faintly white.

The receptionist slid the room key into a wooden slot marked with an brass plate that read _214_ behind the desk. Most of the other slots were still full, Hiccup observed. She typed something once more before sighing and folding her hands on top of the desk. "Would you like a copy of your bill?" she asked. Hiccup shook his head. She smiled warmly at him and watched as he adjusted his grip on the suitcase handle again. "You have a nice day then. Come again soon, why don't you?"

Hiccup shot a small, tight smile at her before retreating to the front doors. Sunlight filtered in through the tall windows, creating soft patterns of light on the lavish furniture. The atmosphere of the lobby was oddly welcoming. But he wouldn't miss it. Breakfast with Catherine, his literary agent, would surely take his mind off it.

* * *

Sharp brown eyes cut through Hiccup as he sat down. Catherine's neatly painted pink nails clicked against the table as she rose to hand him a portfolio. Her eyes glittered behind her glasses. He took it and cleared his throat, flipping through the sticky note-littered pages as he waited anxiously for her reply. The slanted handwriting on the colorful slips of paper tucked inside the portfolio was not his own, and that realization terrified him.

"Well, they didn't hate it," she sighed.

Hiccup wet his lips. His heart banged against his ribcage. If this company didn't like his manuscript, he would have to start from scratch, and time was not on their side. There was just no point in shoving the same bland, black and white idea at them when they refused to look at it. "And?" he asked.

For a few seemingly endless moments, the only sounds in the small cafe were the hushed voices of the group of kids in the corner and the machines _whirring_ behind the counter. Or maybe that was just the blood rushing to his ears. He cleared his throat after one of the kids laughed, which had pulled him from his reverie.

Catherine folded her arms on top of the table, one perfect nail scratching at a ridge in the surface for a second before she met his eyes. "They loved it. They want to get a finalized copy sent out as soon as possible," she finally said, her pursed lips tugging up into a smile. "Jackson said this one was even better than the last."

The tiny gold hands of the clock on the wall whirled as the seconds stretched into minutes. Hiccup laughed softly, his tongue numb and useless. He didn't have the words to describe the waves of joy and long-awaited relief that had washed over him.

"That's...that's great," he whispered. _They liked it. They actually_ _liked_ _this one._ He couldn't believe it.

A waiter came by with a fresh pot of coffee in hand, and refilled their mugs before taking their empty plates away.

Hiccup couldn't keep the smile off his face as he gazed out the window, taking in the serenity, a stark contrast to his hurried arrival on the day before. The sun had just begun to rise above the city. Flashes of light peeked between the silhouettes of the buildings when he shifted in his chair.

"So, how are you liking Georgia?" Catherine asked after a moment. Hiccup broke his attention away from the window. She held her mug in both hands, blowing the steam away as she waited for him to answer.

"It's beautiful. I mean, it's different, but it's nice to be able to wake up to something other than the sound of Toothless having a fit," Hiccup chuckled.

Catherine smiled over the edge of her mug, nodding.

"But he was my inspiration for this book, so I can't hold a grudge forever. It's hard to think that there was a time when I wouldnt- _couldn't_ -even get on a horse," he finished.

"And now here you are, writing books about controlling them."

Hiccup shook his head, his eyebrows pulling together. "Not controlling. Bonding with them. You can't _make_ a horse do anything."

Catherine shrugged. "I never was an animal expert like you are, Henry. A goldfish is as close as I'll ever get to that status. But you know what you're talking about here, so I won't argue. If you can get _Jackson_ to go as far as to ask for more, there's no doubt you have a good head on your shoulders," she said.

As the time melted away, Hiccup grew more and more anxious. There was so much he would need to do in the next few days that he had no interest in sticking around the city for longer than he would need to. So they exchanged a few more words on the possibilities the new information from Jackson brought and their chance of having everything finished by the deadline before they stood to make their goodbyes.

As Hiccup crossed the cool parking lot, he reached into his pocket and fumbled for his keys, the portfolio tucked under his arm jabbing at his ribs. He pulled a handful of small objects out of his pocket, one of which was his car keys. The other two, a quarter and a silver rectangle, sat in his palm, staring him down. He dropped both into one of the cup holders as he climbed into his car. He turned the radio on and skipped through the channels until he found something of interest before backing out of the spot.

A pair of women in dark uniforms walked down the sidewalk together as he turned onto the main road, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. He didn't look twice before taking a left out of the city, towards home and normality.

If he had, he might have noticed that one of the women was missing her name tag.


	3. This Changes Nothing

**Author's Note:** As usual, it's a short chapter. I think I'm actually incapable of writing a chapter longer than 5K words, and it's been a while since I wrote even half that much. Also, I've been going through a bit of writer's block lately, so I hope that doesn't show in the upcoming chapters. If it does, I'm sorry. I don't want writing to become a chore, so I'm trying to get into the habit of writing every day, which can be difficult at times.

 **Reviews:**

 **Ncham9 -** As always, thanks for watching out for little mistakes like that. Hopefully, this chapter will be up to par

 **Guest -** I hope you enjoy!

 **Lady-von-Bielefeld -** Thank you! I really hope you like this chapter as well

 **Supergoddad -** Here it is, finally, so please enjoy. Oh, and rainbow hugs!

* * *

There was something about the atmosphere of The Cove in the morning that soothed Astrid like nothing else. The rich scent of the pot of brewing coffee in the kitchen, the hushed voices of the usual counter dwellers, and the warm sunshine splashing across the tables and kissing her skin as she passed in front of the windows, refilling the chrome napkin dispensers, all contributed to her cheery mood.

"Mornin' lass," Gobber called from his seat at the counter, waving his fork in her direction. Cami, one of the other waitresses, slid a steaming mug of coffee his way before nodding to Astrid. She flipped her blonde mane over her shoulder, smiling faintly.

"Good morning," Astrid chirped. She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes as she checked the last table's dispenser.

"How's life been treatin' you? Last I heard you were applying to go to some fancy school in California," Gobber said.

"Oh you know...I, um, I couldn't afford to go. But it's fine. I have work here to keep me busy." Astrid strode behind the counter to drop the extra napkins into one of the cardboard boxes filled to the brim with supplies, which they kept hidden from view for the simple fact that customers just couldn't stop asking questions about them.

"Hold on a second. You told me we were leaving for Cali together this summer," Cami said, leaning back against the wall behind her.

"And we are. Nothing has changed." Astrid turned to prop the front doors open, but Rachel had already beat her to it. The sunshine raced across the floor, making the ivory-colored tiles shine despite the faint scuffs and scratches; the scars of years and years of successful business.

Cami rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding? I'm not going to let you sit all year, alone, in an apartment in San Diego. You would have to be crazy to think I would, Astrid," she said.

Astrid ignored her remark as she leaned back against the counter. Something else was on her mind, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. It was like a small piece of her had gone missing. She glanced at the floor as she thought, and it came to her instantly.

"Wait, has anyone seen my name tag?" she asked.

"Your name tag? Don't you usually keep it in your purse?" Rachel called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Yeah. I know I had I had my purse with me last night. I remember grabbing it when I left Finn's with…" Astrid's eyes widened. "Rachel, did you take it out of my purse yesterday while I was on my lunch break?"

"Nope. I left early to pick up my brother, remember? It was just you and Cami."

Astrid breathed a low sigh. Her heart raced with worry and fear like a horse set free to run. What if the man from the night before, _Hiccup_ , had it? Just the thought of him knowing her full name and workplace made her anxious, even if he had acted quite timid around her. "Cami, did you…?"

"Why would I want _your_ name tag? Astrid, I don't have it," Cami said. "And what were you doing at Finn's, all the way on the other side of the city, anyways?"

A faint blush came over Astrid's cheeks. "Nothing. I just needed a night out, okay?" She turned her back to Cami, not wanting the other blonde to see the effect her words had on her. Cami walked around the counter, chuckling under her breath. Just as she sat down at a booth across from Astrid, Rachel poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Did I hear you say that you left with someone? Was it a _guy_?" Rachel asked.

Astrid squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. "It wasn't-"

"Oh my God, it was. Astrid! Why didn't you call me?" Rachel dropped the rag in her hand on one of the tables and crossed her arms. Both she and Cami howled with laughter as Astrid's face turned a darker pink and she pursed her lips.

"Come on, you have to tell us everything. Was he cute? Did he have a brother?"

"Rachel!" Astrid glared at the taller girl and huffed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gobber stand, a grin stretched across his face. He dropped a ten-dollar bill on the counter before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking out into the bright sunshine.

Astrid returned her attention to her friends with a sigh. "It was nothing. I swear. We had a few drinks, went back to his hotel, and then I left this morning. Happy?"

"That's it? What kind of story is that? We're going to need more details," Cami said.

Astrid shook her head as a family of four wandered in, one of the children "flying" a toy plane through the air as his father pulled him along by the hand. She pulled her notepad out of one of the pockets in her apron as they settled at a table, putting on her best smile. "Hi, welcome to The Cove. I'm Astrid and I'll be your waitress today. What can I get you to drink?"

* * *

Cars shot by, a thin mist of water spraying out from under their tires and just missing the sidewalk. Astrid kept her arms crossed over the front of her coat as she walked, shivering as her cold clothing clung to her skin. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk at an angry pace. All around her, warm lights began to flicker on in homes and businesses flashed their impressive neon signs, lighting the way back to her own apartment.

Something about the way the constant movement of the city around her made her feel small, like a single page in a novel, but she had learned to live with the feeling since she and her mother had moved to Georgia nearly twelve years before. As a girl born in California, Astrid was used to city life; large crowds and the hum of noise that always seemed to follow you went unnoticed by her. She became so entranced in her racing thoughts that it all seemed to blur around her.

So she didn't notice when a man turned the corner and walked right into her. She nearly fell when his shoulder collided with hers but caught herself against the brick wall of a small shop. As he sat on the damp sidewalk, staring at her dumbly, she could have sworn that she had seen him somewhere before. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to use it as a flashlight but rocked back on her heel in case he reached out to grab her.

The man squinted against the bright circle of light, holding a hand up to shield his eyes. "Astrid?" the man asked, pushing himself to his knees. A slip of paper fluttered out of his hand as he did so.

Her eyebrows pulled together in deep concentration as she thought. Then her eyes widened, and she grabbed his hand in hers, hauling him to his feet. She bent down to grab the paper from the damp concrete, dabbing it dry it as best she could with the hem of her skirt. "Tuff, what are you doing out here? It's raining," she said.

Tuff grinned at her. "Yeah, I kinda noticed. I'm on a mission for bread and eggs; chief's orders."

"Rachel sent you out to get groceries at," she glanced down at the glowing blue screen of her phone, "nine o'clock at night?"

"Yeah. She wants to make some kind of cake or whatever tomorrow."

Astrid rolled her eyes. Knowing the twins as well as she did, she was sure that one of them was lying. "Sure she is. Look, I need to get going, but I'll see you around, Tuff," she said. She stepped around him and kept walking, her head down.

"Sounds good. Oh, and good luck with your new boyfriend."

Astrid froze. She turned slowly, and watched, horrified, as he began to walk in the other direction. After a moment, she ran after him as fast as she could in her heels. "Tuff! Wait a second!"

He stopped, still grinning. "Yeah?"

"Who told you?" she panted.

"Told me what?"

"About my- about the guy I met the other night."

Tuff pursed his lips, humming. "She made me promise not to tell if you asked. But she didn't say much," he admitted.

Astrid's eyes narrowed, burning a hole into the sidewalk. _Rachel_. "What did she tell you?"

"Just that you met some guy at Finn's last night. Which is funny, 'cause I was just there yesterday with some guys and none of us saw you." He laughed softly to himself.

She nodded, not quite listening as he continued. There was no way Tuff could have known who the guy had been, and even if he did find out, it wouldn't matter. The guy from last night would just be another faceless name to him."Thanks, Tuff," she whispered as she turned away.

As the voice of the city filled her ears once again with screeching tires and screaming horns, she realized that she hadn't given the slip of paper back to him. But now, gazing down at the crumpled, wet ball of paper that lay in her palm, she knew that she would have to wait until a better time.


End file.
